Literary origins
'Premise' On a cross-shaped island, a mysterious Organization, seeking weapons of mass destruction for use on the mainland, experiments with monsters called Yoma, who prey on humans.Claymore 15, Scene 079–Scene 080, pp. 52–77 To finance their activities, the Organization runs a protection scheme, where female half-Yoma warriors, called "Claymores" by the public, suppress Yoma for a fee. Series starts with warrior No. 47, Clare, who saves a young boy, Raki, from a Yoma in Doga village.Claymore 1, Scene 001, p. 42 Series climaxes with a Claymore Rebellion at Organization Headquarters.Claymore 20, Scene 113, p. 185 The dilemma of Teresa, Clare and other Claymores is similar to Arthur's in T.H. White's The Once and Future King (1958): "The central theme is an exploration of human nature regarding power and justice, as the boy Arthur becomes king and attempts to quell the prevalent "might makes right" attitude with his idea of chivalry. But in the end, even chivalry comes undone since its justice is maintained by force."''The Once and Future King'', Wikipedia 'Literary origins' "Literary origins" here includes all media—comics, novels, short stories, film and video games. While Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné (1972) and Kentaro Mithra's Berserk (1990) can be considered two of the greater influences on Claymore—indirectly and directly—''Claymore's actual holographic history is more complex. 'Pre-''Claymore'' Undeadman Nirihiro Yagi's first one-shot manga, Undeadman, is about "Ryuko," a reanimated man who escapes from the laboratory of Dr Stein. His regeneration of wounds, as well as unpredictable behavior, foreshadows the Yoma and experiment-gone-wrong motifs of Claymore. The title character himself resembles a Yoma.Jump Comics Deluxe, September 1990, Undeadman Early versions of Cynthia and the chief of Doga appear here. Angel Densetsu Yagi's first series, Angel Densetsu (エンジェル伝説 Angel Legend), centers on "Seiichirou Kitano," a teenage boy whose Yoma-like countenance is at odds with his angelic soul. The background is a typical manga high school in modern Japan. Here appear the first Yagi female characters wielding swords. Despite the reappearance of Angel Densetsu characters in Claymore, as well as various Shōnen tropes, Claymore represents a break with traditional manga. '''Ikuno and Leo from ''Angel Densetsu'' Cynthia and the chief of Doga reappear here, as well as early versions of Clare, Raki, Teresa, Deneve, Elena, Boss, Sister, Rigaldo, Lars and Bishop Kamuri. 'Other franchises' Claymore is often comparedTop 11 Anime Series of all Time to Berserk (1990), Witcher (1992) and Freezing (2007), the third due to misunderstandings about the Pandora-Limiter partnership and the Stigma. Claymore is a culmination of various genres spanning from the Western Bronze Age, to the Middle Ages, to the 20th century. Claymore has four parallel, genre lineages: *Sword and Sorcery *Superhero *Science Fiction *Fantasy 'Sword and Sorcery' 'Ancient period: 800 BC–600 AD' Greek and Roman mythology resurface in various guises in Claymore—tropes from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Perseus and Jason and the Argonauts. Miria repeats the Perseus trope of holding up Medusa's head.Jump Square, June 2012, Claymore, Scene 126, pp. 260–261 'Medieval period: 600–1500' Celtic and English tropes from King Arthur and Robin Hood appear throughout Claymore. The Ghosts resemble Robin Hood's band of Merry Men. Medieval legends also give birth to the sword-fighting genres of the 19th century. '19th century' The medieval broadsword genre begins with Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (1820), while the Swashbuckler genre starts with Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers (1844). Norse influence is reintroduced with H. Rider Haggard's Viking epic, Eric Brighteyes (1890), which continues the medieval sword theme. Eric Brighteyes is a precursor of Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword (1954), which in turn is a precursor of Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné (1972), which reinvents the entire "Sword and Sorcery" genre. With the appearance of Elric, the white-haired, sword-wielding anti-hero is born. Elric of Melniboné '20th century' Moorcock, who originates the phrase, "Sword and Sorcery,"Sword and Sorcery, Wikipedia has other literary lineages. ='T.H. White' = A popular book in Japan, the UK and US, Moorcock attributes T.H. White's The Once and Future King as a seminal influence."Fifty Percent Fiction" ='Burroughs and Howard' = Haggard's series about Allan Quatermain, a pre-20th century superhero, are reworked into Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan (1912). This in turn becomes the childhood favorite of Robert E. Howard's, who creates Conan the Barbarian (1932). Moorcock's Elric is meant as the antithesis of Conan.Moorcock on Conan ='Albinos' = Elric's albinism derives from Monsieur Zenith (1918), a character in the Sexton Blake detective series (1916–1948). This trope is repeated in Claymore and Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series (1992). The Moorcock-influenced Witchers''Rękopis znaleziony w Smoczej Jaskini'' (Manuscript Discovered in a Dragon's Cave), Andrzej Sapkowski, "Michael Moorcock: Elryk Z Melniboné," p. 52, Wydawnictwo Supernowa, Warszawa 2001) fight creatures similar to Claymore's Awakened Beings. Gernalt attacks Geralt of Rivia becomes an albino with "hormones, (agic) herbs, viral infections."The Last Wish, Andrzej Sapkowski, 1993, p. 93 A female Witcher is created in the same manner.Blood of Elves, Andrzej Sapkowski, 1994, p. 34 Claymore warriors, instead, get infected with Yoma tissue implants throughout their body. While Sapkowski has attributed influence on his work from Moorcock, it is still being debated whether Sapkowski himself is an influence on Claymore. 'Superhero' ='Early 20th century' = The Swashbuckler evolves into the Superhero, beginning with Emma Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel (1905), an amalgam of Scott, Dumas and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac (1897). The Scarlet Pimpernel inspires Johnston McCulley's Zorro (1919), which in turn inspires Lee Falk's The Phantom (1936). The Phantom, the "Ghost who walks," originates the skin-tight costume and pupiless eye tropes seen in Claymore and elsewhere. ='Later developments' = The Phantom, which uses genre tropes from Burroughs and Haggard, paves the way for Superman (1938), Batman (1939) and countless other superheros in tights and capes, who are widely read in post-war Japan. The result is a flood of manga/anime superheroes during the post-war period (1946–present). ='Red Sonja' = Female warriors occur throughout history around the world. In ancient Japan, female warriors are typified by the Onna-bugeisha. In the West, the popular image of the female warrior traces back to the Amazons of Greek mythology, possibly derivative of ancient female warriors from present day Iran and southern Russia (1000 BC).The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, Chapter 13, p. 329, 2007 In the 20th century, "Red Sonja" appears in Robert E. Howard short story, "The Shadow of the Vulture" (1934), set in the 16th century. This character forms the basis of the 1973 Marvel Comics character by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith. The Marvel Comics character brought the female sword-fighter from history to mainstream media. Earlier superheroines, such as Wonder Woman (1941) and Supergirl (1959), depend on abilities other than sword-fighting. ='Taarna' = In animated cinema, one of the first sword-wielding heroines is "Taarna" of the Canadian 1981 film, ''Heavy Metal''. This episodic film derives from the science fiction and fantasy magazine of the same name, in which female combatants appear since the first issue (1977). Taarna from ''Heavy Metal'' Taarna, a post-Elric creation which predates Claymore by two decades, shares the same white hair trope, but depends on neither drugs or tissue implants for her abilities, as she belongs to the extinct warrior race, the Taarakians. Taarna herself originates less from Red Sonja and more from the mute Arzach, a character created by Mœbius, whose art has greatly influenced manga and anime design, especially after his work on the 1979 science fiction film, ''Alien''. Mœbius-like Awakened Beings appear throughout Claymore. 'Science Fiction' Body part tropes (Yoma implants and Clare's arm transplant) descend from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818). The Frankenstein Mix-and-Match trope is shared with Freezing. Dae's experiments descend in part from the giantism trope, typified by H.G. Wells' Food of the Gods (1904). The Yoma invasion of Rabona''Claymore 20'', Scene 108, pp. 10–13 repeats the alien invasion trope, typified by Well's The War of the World (1898). 'Fantasy' Elements of medieval European folk tales by the Brothers Grimm appear throughout Claymore. L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) is major genre influence. Baum's quartet trope is repeated with the Paburo Hunt, the warriors having the same illusions—Miria has no heart, Deneve no courage, Helen no brain, Clare no home. Raki fulfills the Toto role and represents Clare's wiser half. Priscilla fulfils the Wicked Witch of the West role. In a reversal of Oz, Teresa (the Good Witch of the North) is killed. Much of the phenomenon of "awakening" appears in the realm of Fantasy, rather than Science Fiction. Such as the scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), where Alice's drinking from the bottle causes her to become a giant without destroying her clothes. This is similar to Alicia ("Alice" in the French translation)Claymore 6, Glénat Édition Française, Scene 031, p. 112 and her special black uniform, which allows awakenings. Awakened Beings sometimes resemble John Tenniel's version of the Jabberwock. 'Differences' 'Elric and Geralt' One important difference between the Claymores, versus Elric of Melniboné and Geralt, is that while drugs (herbs) are used to increase the power of Elric and Geralt, Suppressant is used by Claymores to hide their auras, but lowers their Yoma Energy sensing.Claymore 2, Scene 005, p. 17 To increase their power, Claymore warriors simply release their Yoma Energy. Elric and Geralt are called "White Wolf," while Claymores are called "silver-eyed witches." 'Male leadership' Another difference is the Claymore warriors are generally females, though males are in charge of the mercenary group, as in the Conan, Elric, Berserk and Witcher series. The Organization uses genre tropes, typified by Berserk's "Band of the Hawk," led by Griffith, which in turn trace back to Arthur Conan Doyle's The White Company (1891) and the King Arthur legend. The secretive aspects of the Organization derives from tropes tracing back to the secret societies of Talbot Mundy (1879–1940), which more typify the "Thriller" and "Spy" genres. The Organization's Executive and conspiratorial groups in related genres resemble Mundy's iconic ''The Nine Unknown'' (1923). 'Other manga series' ''Berserk In Kentaro Mithra's groundbreaking ''Berserk, a medieval world similar to Claymore is depicted, though in a more flamboyant Gothic manner. Mithra is the visual equivalent of Sapkowski's prose style, which evokes the decadent Old World aesthetic of Isak Dinesen and H. P. Lovecraft. The two protagonists of the series, Gutts and Griffith, resemble male Claymore warriors in both behavior and appearance, despite being opponents. Gutts repeats the Conan motif. The Flora-lookalike Griffith predates the white-haired Geralt and Isley. But beyond appearance, Griffith's life-path repeats the earlier Elric, as well as T. H. White's Arthur in The Once and Future King. Many of the manga tropes such as "walking on an opponent's sword"Berserk 4, Jets Comics, pp. 188–189 and "graveyard of swords"Berserk 22, Jets Comics, p. 30 predate similar scenes in Claymore. Yoma-like entities heavily populate the Berserk world. Berserk is possibly the strongest non-Yagi, manga influence on Claymore, together with Yagi's Undeadman and Angel Densetsu. But the female warriors of Berserk, such as "Casca" and "Farnese," differ considerably from the female Claymores in both personality and abilities, both being fully human. In an apparent homage to Berserk, Ikuno Shiratakiyagi of Angel Densetsu is modeled after the earlier "Colette" in Chapter 2 of Miura's series (1990).Berserk 1, Jets Comics, Chapter 2, p. 106–158 Colette of ''Berserk'' ''Freezing ='Limiter' = This series is written by Dall-Young Lim. ''Freezing is illustrated by Kwang-Hyun Kim in a post-modernist style. The protagonist of Freezing, Satellizer L. Bridget, resembles Teresa of the Faint Smile more than Clare. Also, Pandora warriors need a partner called a "Limiter," while Claymores generally fight alone, unless part of an Awakened Hunt. The pairing of Clare and Raki is often mistaken for the Pandora-Limiter partnership. Neither Clare as a girl—while being with Teresa—or Raki are Limiters. The nearest equivalent in Claymore would be Rafutera, whose Yoma Power Harmonization completely differs in function. Satellizer L. Bridget ='Implants' = Freezing shares the same Frankenstein Mix-and-Match trope as Claymore. Tissue is taken from Nova aliens and grown in a cell culture. Tissue is harvested, made into hexagonal-shaped tablets and implanted into the backs of trainees, who become "Pandoras" with superhuman powers. The more implants, the more power.[http://freezing.wikia.com/wiki/Stigmata Stigmata, Freezing Wiki] In Claymore, the Yoma implants are made through an incision running down the front of the torso, from the throat to the mons pubis.Jump Square, September 2012, Claymore, Scene 129, p. 651 Only sutures prevent the internal organs from spilling out.Jump Square, September 2012, Claymore, Scene 129, pp. 652–655 ='Milieu' = Freezing has a futuristic background and superficially fits the Science Fiction genre, but synergizes other traditional manga genres, which provides its real core—thus is more manga-like. Claymore has a medieval background and synergizes the four genre lineages described above—this is its core. Claymore has been described, criticized and praised as being "un-manga." References Tankōbon Claymore volumes cited are VIZ Media (en-us) editions, unless otherwise noted. Manga scenes (chapters) not yet translated cite Shueisha tankōbon (ja) editions. Manga scenes not yet published in tankōbon form cite Jump Square (ja) editions. Fragments of Silver Omnibus (総集編 銀の断章 Gin no Danshou) 1–3, Shueisha, are only available in Japanese. Anime scenes (episodes) cited are FUNimation (en-us) editions, unless otherwise noted. Category:Browse Category:Content Category:Scenes